How to move incrementally to IP - IBC

ARCHITECTS OF VIRTUALIZED MEDIA PRODUCTION

How to move incrementally to IP A Nevion Whitepaper

Nevion whitepaper – how to move incrementally to IP2

Introduction The broadcast industry is understandably focusing on the infrastructure of the future, and without

doubt this will be based on IP.

That said, broadcasters have invested heavily in baseband technology for many years. They have

studios and control rooms full of excellent (and expensive) equipment, from cameras and monitors

to switchers and mixers. There is simply no business case for replacing all of these, unless the

equipment’s functionality needs to be upgraded, e.g. to support 4K/UHD.

Instead, broadcasters must concentrate on building out the IP media network, which of course

provides the greatest benefits in terms of costs-savings and workflow transformation. As part

of this, they need to consider how to accommodate SDI equipment, and indeed in some cases

SDI networks.

In short, it’s all about managing the transition from an all-baseband to an all-IP world, in an

incremental manner.

Drivers for the move to IP

Gradual transition

Moving to new facilities

Most of the early adopters of IP have had one

thing in common: they needed to move facilities. In

that situation, it was clear to them that laying down

a baseband infrastructure in the new location,

especially the large amount of cabling, made

no sense when the future was IP.

The move was potentially risky for the very early

adopters, as IP was still largely unproven and even

standards like SMPTE ST 2110 did not exist when

they made the decision. These broadcasters took

the leap nonetheless, and it worked out – for the

majority at least.

Broadcasters moving premises now have the

obvious benefit of the experience of the early

adopters and the progress made by the

industry as a whole. This makes the move

to IP a much safer one now.

Remote production

The need to cover one-off large events (e.g. the

Summer Games or the FIFA World Cup) or regular

ones (e.g. ice-hockey league) is often a catalyst

for broadcasters to investigate replacing outside

broadcast (OB) production with a centralized (so

called remote production) approach based on IP

– primarily for cost effectiveness reasons.

Such events don’t usually trigger a move to IP

in the central facilities, but they introduce some

elements of IP-based production both on site and

on the edge of the core facilities. These events

often also serve as a contained experimental

environment for broadcasters to assess the

possibility of an eventual move to

IP in their core facilities.

Broadcast Control

Existing SDI routers are full

Further expansion is not possible

Need capacity for new productions

SDI routers

SDIequipment WHAT?

Nevion whitepaper – how to move incrementally to IP 3

For many broadcasters there may not be an immediate compelling business case to move

to a full IP network environment. However, there may be opportunities to move gradually.

One common trigger is when the central routers are reaching maximum capacity. This means there

is no room for additional equipment, new studios or control rooms, or a move to high-definition.

The obvious solution is to buy a larger SDI router. However, an alternative approach is to use this

opportunity to build capacity using IP, allowing new equipment to be added, or capacity to be

freed on the existing routers.

This is not a wholesale replacement of the baseband network, as is usually the case with a move

to new premises, but the creation of a mixed SDI and IP network.

Handling mixed SDI/IP environments As mentioned, no broadcaster currently operates

in an all-IP environment. At best, they will have a

mixture of SDI and IP equipment, connected to an

all IP network. Broadcast production networks will

in fact remain a mixed SDI/IP environment for some

years to come.

In order to build such an environment, some key

functionality is required.

SDI/IP Adaption

SDI/IP adapters or gateways, such as Nevion’s

Virtuoso or its Flashlink IP Converters, adapt media

signals, clock information and associated data

between the technologies (e.g. SDI to/from SMPTE

ST-2110, and GENLOCK, black burst/tri-level sync

to/from PTP).

NEVION VIRTUOSO

Nevion has a broad offering for media

nodes, including those from the Ventura

and Video Gateway families.The latest

offering, Nevion Virtuoso is a high-density,

software-defined media platform designed

to perform a variety of tasks suitable for both

WANs and LANs, including IP encapsulation

(SMPTE ST-2022-6, TR-04, SMPTE ST-2110),

encoding/decoding (JPEG2000, TICO and

H.264), transport protection, monitoring,

aggregation, and signal processing

(e.g. video, and audio embedding/

de-embedding).

This functionality can be changed on

demand – so called Media Function

Virtualization. Regular software updates

ensure that more media functions are

added all the time, making Virtuoso even

more versatile with every release.


Connectivity and processing in “baseband islands”

As mentioned above, even when facilities move

to a much more flexible and cost-effective IP

network, most of the equipment is likely to remain

based on SDI technology for some time. SDI/IP

adaption equipment (see above) can be used to

connect the SDI equipment to the IP core network.

However, connecting a lot of SDI equipment to an

IP network may be expensive. Furthermore, it might

not be necessary as that equipment will often be

used together within the confine of a studio or

control room, e.g. SDI camera to SDI switcher or SDI

monitor. In such “baseband islands”, converting SDI

signals to IP and back to SDI may be superfluous.

The most cost-effective way to distribute signals

between baseband equipment may then be to

use baseband routing technology. Similarly, signal

processing, such as audio embedding onto SDI

signals or SDI frame synchronization, may best be

done directly on baseband equipment rather than

converting to IP, processing and converting back

to baseband.

This could lead to an argument for keeping the

existing large MCR matrices to handle this. This

however is likely to be overkill in many cases. It also

doesn’t help solve the cabling headache, if all the

equipment needs to be connected centrally.

These gateways provide the means to connect SDI equipment to an IP network (or indeed

IP equipment to an SDI network). Fundamentally, they can also be used to connect IP and

baseband networks together, for example in the cases of IP-based facilities network

capacity expansion or new studio build-out.

This means that, from a connectivity point of view at least, it is possible to run a mixed

SDI/ IP environment.

For that reason, the most cost-efficient distribution and routing within baseband islands is likely to be

smaller SDI routers, such as Nevion’s Sublime X2, located within the baseband islands. Obviously, as

these routers take on part of the job done by the MCR routers, they also need to offer a high level of

redundancy, and include SDI processing capabilities.

These baseband islands can then be connected to the rest of the IP network through

adaption equipment.

NEVION’S SUBLIME X2

Introduced in 2014, Nevion’s Sublime X2 is the world’s first hybrid compact router. With its

management, cross point and power redundancy, it features the reliability of large modular

routers. A multi-core signal processing farm makes it a hybrid router. Its compact form factor

makes it ideal for applications where size really matters.

Nevion whitepaper – how to move incrementally to IP 5

Existing fiber technology

Traditionally, the transport of baseband signals beyond the studios has been handled by

fiber, with technology (such as Nevion’s Flashlink product range) providing the interface onto

and from the fiber.

As the industry moves to IP, the requirement

for high data-rate transporting will continue to

grow - uncompressed HD requires a minimum

of 10GbE data rates. Fiber remains ideally suited

to transport signals any distance longer than a

typical patch cable.

But even though IP is transported over fiber,

the conversion of baseband to optical links are

still a less costly solution than baseband to IP

conversions. Hence, if equipment located far

away is baseband, it can be a more cost-efficient

solution to transport the signals through baseband

EO converters.

So optical transport technology, will continue to be

relevant in an IP world, and any investment in that

technology for the transport of signals today is an

investment of the transport network of the future –

using fiber to transport IP as well as baseband.

FLASHLINK OPTICAL TRANSPORT

For hundreds of organizations across the

world, Nevion’s Flashlink is the go-to solution

for optical transport of video, audio, data,

intercom, Ethernet and sync signals. This

modular solution transports signals reliably,

transparently and with close to zero latency.

Flashlink can handle anything from a few

channels over a short distance, to hundreds

of multiplexed services per fiber over

many miles, with built-in changeover and

protection mechanisms to ensure ultimate

service assurance. Originally designed for

the transport of baseband traffic, Flashlink

can also be used to transport IP over fiber

and convert signals between baseband

and their standards-based IP equivalent.


Orchestration and control in mixed SDI/IP environments

While adaption equipment can ensure that the

SDI world is connected to the IP world (and vice

versa), a crucial issue is how to orchestrate and

control flows between the two environments.

Most media network management and

control systems have been developed

for SDI technology and cannot manage IP.

Conversely, IP network management

systems don’t handle SDI.

This is particularly problematic where the preferred

option of a broadcaster is to keep some form

of SDI routing in the network, for example within

specific studios.

This clearly calls for a versatile orchestration and

SDN (Software Defined Network) control system,

such as Nevion VideoIPath, that can handle both

SDI and IP environments.

NEVION VIDEOIPATH

Nevion VideoIPath is a comprehensive

orchestration and SDN control system

that provides complete connection

and resource management (including

SDN), service assurance and network

inventory capabilities for service

providers and broadcasters.

The system is used for managing a variety

of networks ranging from international or

national contribution networks to broadcast

facility or campus infrastructures. It is

designed to handle both Nevion and third-

party devices, both in a baseband and

IP environment.

7Nevion whitepaper – how to move incrementally to IP

Such systems hold a complete view of the

network and can control both IP and SDI routers,

as well as adaption equipment (such media

nodes) and other appliances. As a result, this

type of orchestration and SDN control system

can provide deterministic paths through a mixed

SDI/IP network infrastructure. In turn, this makes it

possible for broadcasters to have the mixed SDI/

IP environment most suitable for them.

In other words, with the right orchestration and

SDN control system, broadcasters need not go to

an all-IP network at once, and they can choose

equipment based on functionality and cost, not SDI

or IP connectivity. Ultimately, this flexibility translates

into a more cost-effective transition to IP.

Broadcast control

Production staff are typically used to a specific

broadcast control interface (panel) and are often

reluctant to move away from it. However, popular

broadcast control systems are not designed to

control IP networks.

The solution is to ensure that the broadcast

control system can interface with the orchestration

layer. This is typically done via APIs (application

programming interfaces) provided by the

broadcast control system and implemented in

the orchestration system. For example, Nevion’s

VideoIPath supports (amongst others) the

Ember+ API used by some popular broadcast

control systems.

A tight coupling of the familiar broadcast control

systems and the orchestration layer ensures that

production staff can maintain their existing method

of working, even as the underlying network

technology evolves.

A smooth migration path to IPThe path to an all-IP production involves stages

in which SDI equipment, and in some cases SDI

networking infrastructure, co-exist with an IP

infrastructure.

A hybrid SDI/IP network

Realistically, only those broadcasters moving

to new facilities and starting with a “greenfield”

site have the luxury of building an all-IP network

from scratch. Broadcasters who are building out

capacity using IP, or adding new IP studios or

control rooms, need to maintain their core SDI

network, for both practical and financial reasons.

This requires the creation of a hybrid SDI/IP

network. This, however, can easily be achieved

with the help of SDI/IP gateways and a convergent

SDI/IP orchestration system.

The SDI/IP gateways play two roles. Firstly, they

provide the tie-lines between the SDI routers and

IP network (including converting flows to and from

SMPTE ST 2110). Secondly, they allow SDI equipment

to be connected to the IP network. Native IP

equipment can obviously be “plugged” into the IP

network without going through the gateways.

The control of the network is handled by the

orchestration system, with the production

staff working through the existing and familiar

broadcast control surface and logic.

An all-IP network

The next step in the migration is to remove the

legacy SDI routers. For broadcasters moving

to new premises, this is where their migration

typically starts as the a hybrid SDI/IP network

is not needed.

In this set-up, the core network becomes all-IP,

controlled by the orchestration software, with

the production interface remaining the same

broadcast control system.

IP equipment is connected directly into the IP

network. SDI equipment can be connected

through SDI/IP gateways. Where substantial

“islands” of SDI equipment remain (e.g. in a studio

or control room), routing can also be achieved

with the help of small compact hybrid SDI router

(see “Connectivity and processing in “baseband

islands”, p.4). These compact routers are

connected to the IP network via gateways.

An all-IP production

Eventually, when all the equipment is IP, the

compact hybrid routers and the gateways can

be removed, as all equipment will be connected

natively to the IP network. This is likely to take many

years though, as the business case for wholesale

replacement of SDI equipment only becomes

compelling when leaps in technology warrant

it, e.g. move to higher resolutions.

It is worth noting that gateways that are software

defined media nodes, such as Nevion Virtuosos,

are likely to be redeployed in another capacity

(e.g. audio and video processing), thanks to

their versatility.

IPSDI

ST 2110workflows

SDI

SDIequipment

SDIequipment

IPequipment

Orchestration and SDN Control

Broadcast Control

CompactSDI routers

IP network architecture

Network architecture for broadcast production

is discussed in detail in the Nevion whitepaper

“Architecture & Control - The two keys to IP

infrastructure success in broadcast”. The ideal

architecture described there is an “end-game”

though: broadcasters don’t need to leap to a full

spine-leaf set-up, particularly if they are building

a hybrid SDI/IP network in which the IP component

remains small initially. The principle should always

be “start small and expand” as needs dictate.

CASE STUDY: SÝN/VODAFONE ICELAND

Sýn, the Icelandic company formed by merger of Vodafone

Iceland and the 365 broadcast media, wanted to consolidate

its telecom and broadcast premises for cost-efficiency

and work-effectiveness reasons. This required broadcast

production to move to new premises.

Rather than transfer the existing SDI production network infrastructure, Sýn opted for

a new IP media network that would provide greater flexibility, future-proofing, scalability

and cost-effectiveness over time. The production equipment, including cameras, video

and audio mixers, would remain unchanged, i.e SDI-based.

The new IP media network was delivered in record time by Nevion and its local partner

Exton: it was ready for production in just six weeks.

At the core of the solution delivered in the new facilities is an IP network built around

Nevion’s COTS (commercial off the shelf) eMerge IP switches. Nevion’s software defined

media nodes, Virtuosos, provide the gateways between the SDI equipment and the IP

media network, as well as video and audio processing, and 4K TICO encoding.

Where many pieces of SDI equipment are used, Nevion’s compact hybrid SDI routers,

Sublime X2, are deployed to enable easy routing between the equipment, without the

need to convert to and from IP.

The satellite reception site, as well as in the DVB and IPTV headend site, which are located

elsewhere, are both connected to the core IP network via Nevion’s Flashlink (CWDM) over

an existing fiber network. The equipment at both these locations is mostly SDI, but as there

is little need for SDI connectivity between these, all connections are routed via the central IP

network.

The whole network is controlled by a combination of Nevion’s Multicon broadcast controller

(already in use at Sýn) and Nevion VideoIPath. The solution went live on

8th February 2019.

Switch

10G interface 6+6 HD

25G interface 2+2 UHD

100G interface 60+60 HD

48 port 10G leaf switch 288+288 HD

48 port 25G leaf switch 96+96 UHD

32 port 100G spine switch 1920+1920 HD

32 port 100G spine switch 256+256 UHD

Max Capacity


Simple centralized routers

So, for example, the IP network could be a single

IP router to which are connected IP equipment

and SDI/IP gateways (such Virtuoso) which

enable SDI equipment to be connected.

This obviously creates a single point of failure,

so it would probably make sense to add

a redundant switch. The network remains

comparatively small and simple.

Moving to spine-leaf

As extra capacity is needed, a spine/leaf

approach can be taken, with smaller switches

acting as aggregators.

For reference, the table below provides

a summary of the capacity of IP switches,

expressed in terms of HD signals.

IP equipment or SDI/IP gateways to SDI Equipment

Single Switch

IP

SENDERIP

SENDERIP

SENDER

IP

RECEIVERIP

RECEIVERIP

RECEIVER

Redundant Switches

IP

SENDERIP

SENDERIP

SENDER

IP

RECEIVERIP

RECEIVERIP

RECEIVER

From central router(s) to… Spine Switches

Location 1 Location 2 Location 3 Location 4

Control

RouterControl

IP TielineControl

Integrate broadcast control and orchestration

layers using familiar router control protocols

Orchestration manage tielines between SDI and IP domains

Integrate with multi-vendor devices as part of the solution

Orchestration manage connections end-to-end

across SDI and IP domains

Ability to use existing router control systems

IP Sender/ Receiver Control

SDNControl

Broadcast Control

Orchestration Layer

As mentioned in earlier sections, the key

to making the whole setup work is the

orchestration and control approach.

This approach provides:

• Ability to use existing router control systems

• Integrate broadcast control and orchestration

layers using familiar router control protocols

• Orchestration manage connections end-to-

end across SDI and IP domains

• Orchestration manage tie-lines between SDI

and IP domains

• Multi-vendor devices as part of the solution

For more information about network architecture

and control options, refer to the Nevion

whitepaper “Architecture & Control - The two

keys to IP infrastructure success in broadcast”.

This whitepaper is an extract of Nevion’s “From Baseband to IP to Virtualization - Architecting the media production infrastructure for the future” book, which is available in print at most tradeshows attended by Nevion and its partners.

Conclusion

For broadcasters, the transition from baseband to IP need not be an all-or-nothing decision

– it will be a gradual transition. Adaption equipment and orchestration are the key to

ensuring that the transition can be achieved in a smooth way, without affecting production.

11Nevion whitepaper – how to move incrementally to IP

Nevion near you!Nevion has a presence in all the major regions, and an extensive network of partners to reach customers anywhere in the world.

Visit our website for your nearest sales contact

nevion.com

©Nevion 2019

No part of this documentation may be reproduced in any form or by any means or be used to make any derivative work (including translation, transformation or adaptation) without explicit written consent of Nevion.

Confidentiality Statement:

All information contained in this documentation is provided in commercial confidence for the sole purpose of adjudication by Nevion. The pages of this document shall not be copied published or disclosed wholly or in part to any party without Nevion prior permission in writing, and shall be held in safe custody.

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How to move incrementally to IP - IBC